Business of the Week: Rise Above Floatation, Mt. Kisco
There’s a way to escape life’s stresses and distractions, and it’s right in the heart of downtown Mount Kisco.
In the newly opened Rise Above Floatation, the journey to inner peace begins at the front door as affable co-owners Micah Saccomanno and his wife Katie Lynch Saccomanno welcome customers into their creatively designed facility, complete with natural wood and other environmentally friendly products.
In Westchester’s only float facility, customers are urged to leave their cell phones and other mobile devices behind and savor the moments of silence, healing and restoration.
Clients submerge their bodies in 10 inches of warm saltwater set to body temperature within a darkened floatation tank. This simple procedure is a form of reduced stimulation therapy intended to block out the distractions of an increasingly hectic world, explained Micah Saccomanno.
Physician and neuropsychologist John C. Lilly popularized the benefits of floating. In 1954, he conducted research on how the brain would react when it was denied external stimuli, specifically when placed in an isolation tank without light and sound.
In the 1970s, the tanks that Lilly used for his research had evolved to today’s more commercial, user-friendly floatation tanks. While the practice of floating declined during the ‘70s and ‘80s, Micah Saccomanno believes the digital culture has created a renewed interest in the practice as well as in its emotional and physical benefits.
“Dramatically good things happen to you when you float,” said Saccomanno, who floats regularly and is familiar with its positive effects, which have been documented by the Oklahoma-based Laureate Institute for Brain Research.
Results include relief from eating disorders, addictive behaviors, chronic pain and fibromyalgia, among other problems. The military, Saccomanno noted, has also used floating to treat soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. For athletes it’s a way to heal injured joints and muscles and enhance muscle memory, a practice called sports visualization.
The couple offers two tanks, one about six feet by eight feet and another they named the “womb,” a smaller, more intimate space that is about five feet by eight feet. Once inside, patrons are asked to relax as they float in the darkness with no sensory influences to distract them. A third tank will be operational in the next two weeks.
Katie Saccomanno, a licensed massage therapist, said the floating experience takes time getting used to since most people’s brains operate day to day in a fight or flight mode. She said it takes most people between 20 to 25 minutes to get comfortable in the solitary environment.
“What’s important to remember, however, is that everyone who goes into the flotation tanks has control over their own experience,” explained Micah Saccomanno,
That includes the ability to open and close the doors and to adjust the lighting so it’s not completely dark, particularly important for people who might be claustrophobic, he added. Air is constantly being pumped into the tanks to maintain comfort level.
Many clients spend at least an hour floating, but many of them extend the experience.
“We want to make this a very safe place where people can de-stress and gain that incredible awareness of mind and thought,” said Micah Saccomanno, who’s in the midst of establishing partnerships with local medical practitioners, educating them on the benefits of floating.
Customers are asked to take a shower before and after the float, as the salt will be uncomfortable on the body if not washed away. Towels, shampoo, conditioner and low-sounding hair dryers are all available free of charge.
To help with sound insulation and to prevent salt water from entering the ears, earplugs are provided. Music can be played for those who don’t want complete sensory deprivation.
In the three weeks since the business has been open, the feedback has been excellent. A journal on the coffee table in the main lobby is already filling up with positive testimonials.
Rise Above Floatation is located at 111 E. Main St. below the Elephants Trunk. It is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. To book a session or learn about pricing or special membership packages, call 914-241-1900 or visit www.riseabovefloatation.com.
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